R.6.3:
There is no paraph marker here because there was no space for one (the passus initial extends
down slightly beyond this line in the left margin).Quatȝ perkyn þe plowman  by
seint peter of rome .

R.6.4KD.6.4

I haue an half acre to erie  by þe heyȝ weye .

R.6.5KD.6.5

Hadde I hered þis half acre  and I-sowen it after .

R.6.6KD.6.6

I wilR.6.6: Among the other B copies, only LCY share R's
wil (the rest read wolde). That the latter form of the
verb was original in the A version seems obvious (though three of its
manuscripts—Ra, U, and La—support a future meaning in place of the
conditional); but the reading of Cx is more problematic. Most C copies agree with the AB majorities on wolde, but three of the most authoritative X-family witnesses, XYcI, support the RLCY
reading. wenden with ȝow  and þe weye teche .

R.6.7KD.6.7

¶ Þis were a longe lettyng  quod a lady in a sclayre
.

R.6.8KD.6.8

What schuld we wommen  werche þereR.6.8:
Most beta manuscripts of all other sub-groups read þe, but the LM pair
agrees with alpha. whiles .

And mekenesse ȝoureR.6.41:
Both F and beta attest þi. The same is true of Cx. maystere  maugre medeR.6.41:
R's uninflected form is unique among the B manuscripts; the others have
medes. However, a majority of C witnesses, including
the best X-family copies, agree with R's form. chekes .R.6.41: Here the scribe again
omits his usual insertion of a blank line to mark a new paragraph, presumably because the
next line is the last of the side.

Nyme it nauȝt an aunter  þowR.6.43:
R's aunter þow is an alpha reading; beta has auenture
ȝe; however, though five A witnesses support auenture, it seems clear that the entire phrase, in both Ax and
Cx was rendered as in alpha. mowe it nauȝt deserue

R.6.44KD.6.43

For þow schalt ȝelde it aȝen  at on ȝeres ende
.

R.6.45KD.6.44

In a ful periliouse place  purgatorie it hatteth .

R.6.46KD.6.45

¶ And mysbede nauȝt þi bonde-man  þe bettere may þow spede .

R.6.47KD.6.46

Þouȝ he be þin vnderlyng here  wel may happe in heuene
.

R.6.48KD.6.47

Þat he worth worthier sett  and with more blisse .

R.6.49KD.6.47α

Amice ascende superius .

R.6.50KD.6.48

For in achanelR.6.50:chanel, "charnel house." For the spelling, see MED, s.v.charnel n.(1). at cherche  clerkesR.6.50:
Beta reads cherles, which clearly reflects Bx (and
agrees with C). Alpha's variant (F = a clerk) is
deficient in alliteration as well as less suitable to the context (levelling of social
classes beyond death). ben euel to knowe .

R.6.51KD.6.49

Or a kniȝt fram a knaue þere  knowe þis in þin herte
.

R.6.52KD.6.50

And þat þow be trewe of tongeR.6.52:
Beta reads of þi tonge. Most A
witnesses agree on this reading with beta, as does the X family of C
manuscripts. However, four A copies (TDH2V) agree
with alpha's omission of any determiner. Most of the P family in the C
tradition attest the presence of hys at this point.  and
tales þat þow hatie .

R.6.53KD.6.51

But if þei ben of wisdom  or of witt þi werkmen to chastie
.

R.6.54KD.6.52

Holde nauȝtR.6.54:
No beta manuscript attests nauȝt. Two A copies
agree with alpha at this point, but most support beta. By contrast almost all C witnesses support alpha's use of the double negative in this a-verse, although the
Russell-Kane edition emends this evidence away. with non herlotes  ne here
nauȝt here tales .

R.6.55KD.6.53

And nameliche at þe mete  swyche men eschewe .

R.6.56KD.6.54

For it beth þe deueles disoures  I do þe to vnderstonde .

R.6.57KD.6.55

¶¶ I assente by seint Iame  seyde þe
kniȝt þanne .

R.6.58KD.6.56

For to werch by thy wordes  þe while my lyf dureth .

R.6.59KD.6.57

¶ And I schal apparaille me quod perkyn  in
pilgrimes wise .

R.6.60KD.6.58

And wende with ȝow I wil  til we fynde treuthe .

R.6.61KD.6.59

¶¶ And caste on meR.6.61: Only L agrees with R in
attesting me my. F and the other beta copies simply show my. Ax and Cx agree against B in reading this phrase as third-person description: He caste on (his = A) / (hym his = C) cloþis. It is interesting to note that the one
difference between the A and C phrases parallels
the grammatical difference between LR and the other B witnesses.
my clothes  I-clouted and I-hole .

R.6.62KD.6.60

My cokeres and my cuffes  for colde of my nayles .

R.6.63KD.6.61

And hange myn hoper at myn hals  in stede of a
scrippe .

R.6.64KD.6.62

A buschel of brede-corne 
bryng me þere-Inne .

R.6.65KD.6.63

For I wil sowen it my-selue 
and sytthen wil I wende .

R.6.66KD.6.64

To pilgrimage as palmeres doun  pardon for to
haue .

R.6.67KD.6.65

¶ Ac ho-so helpeth me to erye  or
sowen here ere I wende .

R.6.68KD.6.66

Schal haue leue be oure lord  to lese here in herueste .

R.6.69KD.6.67

And maken hymR.6.69:
Beta reads hem here, but both Ax and Cx agree with alpha's hym. merie þeremyde
 maugre ho-so it be-grucche .R.6.69: Beta transposes the final phrase as bigruccheth it. This word order parallels that found in the X family of C (the P family omits it completely, as do several of
the less authoritative copies in the B tradition). However, the A witnesses strongly support alpha's phrasing at this point.

R.6.70KD.6.68

¶¶And alle kynne crafty men  þat conne lyuen in
treuthe .

R.6.71KD.6.69

I schal fynde hem fode  þat feithfullyche libbeth .R.6.71: Here
the scribe again omits his usual insertion of a blank line to mark a new paragraph,
presumably because the next line is the last of the side.

For holy cherche is hote  of hem no tythe to aske .R.6.78: R's aske is unique; both beta and F read take. However, both Ax and Cx agree with R's
reading.

R.6.79KD.6.76α

Quia cum iustis non scribantur
.

R.6.80KD.6.77

Þei ben aschaped good auntour  nowR.6.80:
Beta reads auenture in place of alpha's auntour, but
Ax and Cx agree with alpha's form. Also, most beta
copies omit alpha's now, but its occurrence in LM clearly attests its
authenticity, both in beta and Bx. Almost all C
witnesses—and a majority of A copies—attest the presence
of this adverb. god hem amende .

In dei nomine amen
 I make it my-selue  he schal
haue my soule .R.6.89: Here alpha differs from beta by merging the opening phrase from the
archetype's next line (= He shal haue my soule ) with this one, and then
truncating the third line by deleting its final phrase (= for so I
bileue), so that the three lines in Langland's presumptive original are reduced to two
non-alliterating ones.

R.6.90KD.6.87b-88

Þat best hath I-serued it 
and fro þe fende I-keped itR.6.90:
R's I-keped is unique; F rephrases this
verse, with his own unique verb phrase (weyvid fram yt); the cognate beta
reading is it defende. Both Ax and Cx substantially agree with beta's phrasing in this entire passage, where alpha was
clearly corrupt (cf. note at R6.89). .

R.6.91KD.6.89

Til I come tilR.6.91:
R's til before his acountes is unique among the B witnesses. Ax, like beta and F, shows to here, but Cx agrees with R. his acountes  as my
crede tellethR.6.91:
Beta adds me before telleth. A majority of A manuscripts agrees with beta on this addition, but a minority
(ChHaLaEWaMa) supports alpha's omission of the pronoun. Moreover, Cx
clearly supports alpha in omitting me. .

R.6.92KD.6.90

To haue a reles and a remissioun  on þat
rental I leue .

R.6.93KD.6.91

¶ Þe kyrke schal haue my carayne  and kepe myn bones .

R.6.94KD.6.92

For of my corne and catel  he crauede tithe .R.6.94: R uniquely omits a determiner before tithe. Most B witnesses agree with Ax in attesting þe before the noun; however, Cr agrees with Cx in reading my at this point.

R.6.95KD.6.93

I payede it hym prestly  for peryl of my soule .

R.6.96KD.6.94

For-thi is he holden I hope 
to haue me in his messe .

R.6.97KD.6.95

And mengen in his memorie  amonge alle cristene

R.6.98KD.6.96

¶¶ My wif schal haue of þat I wan  with
treuthe and namore .

R.6.99KD.6.97

And dele amonge my douȝteres  and my derechildresR.6.99:
R's form is unique; all other witnesses in the B tradition have children. Two C manuscripts (XI) agree with R, but most
agree with the B majority. .

R.6.100KD.6.98

For þouȝ I deyedeR.6.100:
Beta's form agrees with the reading of both Ax and Cx. to-day  my detteis Iquited .R.6.100: R's singular is unique; F shows a plural, dettys ben alle
qwitte, and beta attests a slightly different plural phrasing, dettes ar
quitte. The A tradition clearly supports the F/beta plural format
here, but the C tradition is divided, much of the P family concurring
with F/beta while the X family (and a few P copies) support R's singular.

¶ Now is perkyn and þeseR.6.107:
Beta reads his; F has þe. Most A
copies support F's reading. Among the C manuscripts, the P family also
agrees with F, but the X family reading, þis, concurs with R's þese. pilgrimes  to þe plow faren .

R.6.108KD.6.106

To herye þis haf hacre  holpen hym manye .

R.6.109KD.6.107

Dikeres and delueres  digged vp þe balkes .

R.6.110KD.6.108

Þerewith was perkyn apayd 
and preised hem faste .

R.6.111KD.6.109

Other werkmen þere were  þat woruten ful
ȝerne .

R.6.112KD.6.110

Vch man in his manere  made hym-self to done .

R.6.113KD.6.111

And somme to plese perkyn  piked vp þe wedes
.

R.6.114KD.6.112

¶¶ At heȝ prime peres  lete þe
plow stande .

R.6.115KD.6.113

And ȝeedR.6.115:
R's And ȝeed to is unique; otherwise R reads the line as beta does
(which begins the line simply with To . F completely rephrases the line,
but the fact that F's rewritten line begins & wente indicates that R's
unique opening probably derives from alpha. Both the A and C versions begin this line by omitting R's opening (the former reading the
phrase exactly as beta does). to ouer-sen hem
hym-self  and ho-so best wrouȝte .

R.6.116KD.6.114

He schuld be huyred þere-after  whan heruest-tyme come .

R.6.117KD.6.115

¶ And þanne sete somme  and songen at þe ale .

R.6.118KD.6.116

And hoR.6.118:ho, "they." See MED, s. v.he pron.(3). helpen to eryeR.6.118: Only G agrees with R's assignment of present
tense to this verb; only F agrees with R's inclusion of to after the verb.
Beta reads hulpen (cf. F's hulpen). R's ho is unique error. his half acre  with how trolly lolly .

R.6.119KD.6.117

¶¶ Now be þe perille of my soule
quod peres  alle in puer tene .

R.6.120KD.6.118

But ȝe arise þe rathere  and rape
ȝow to werche .

R.6.121KD.6.119

Schal no greyn þat groweth  glade ȝow at nede .

R.6.122KD.6.120

And þouȝ ȝe deyedeR.6.122:
R's deyede is unique. All other B manuscripts show a
present-tense form here, as do the A and C
versions. for deul  þe deuel haue þat recche .

R.6.123KD.6.121

¶ Þo were faitoures aferde  and feyned hem blynde .

R.6.124KD.6.122

Somme leyde here legges a-lyry  as swiche loseles conneth .

R.6.125KD.6.123

And made here mone to peres  and preyed hym of grace .

R.6.126KD.6.124

For we haue no lymes to labore with  lord graced be ȝe
.

R.6.127KD.6.125

¶¶ Ac we preye for ȝow peres  and
for ȝoure plow bothe .

R.6.128KD.6.126

Þat god of his grace  ȝoure greyne multiplye .

R.6.129KD.6.127

And ȝelde ȝow of ȝoure almesse
 þat ȝe ȝiuen vs here .

R.6.130KD.6.128

For we may nouȝt swynk ne swete  suche seknesse vs
ayleth .

R.6.131KD.6.129

¶ If it be soth quod peres þat ȝe seyne
 I schal it sone aspie .

R.6.132KD.6.130

ÞoR.6.132:
R's reading is unique and clearly defective; beta has Ȝe and F reads
Þat ȝee. Both the A and C
versions confirm the correctness of beta's reading. ben wastoures I wot wel 
treutheR.6.132:
R's omission of and at the beginning of the b-verse is unique. The A version confirms the presence and location of this conjunction, as found
in beta and F. wot welR.6.132:
R's redundancy (reiterated wel in the b-verse) is unique. þe sothe
.

But if he blyndeR.6.138:
R's omission of the verb here is unique; cf. F's he þat is blynd and
beta's he be blynde. or brokelegged  or bolted with yrenes
. .

R.6.139KD.6.137

He schal ete whete brede  and drinke with me-selue .

R.6.140KD.6.138

Til god of his goednesse  amendement hym sende .

R.6.141KD.6.139

¶¶ Ac ȝe miȝt trauaile as treuthe
wolde  & take mete & huyre .

R.6.142KD.6.140

To kepe ken in þe felde  þe corne fro þe bestes .

R.6.143KD.6.141

Diken or deluen  or dyngen vppon scheues .

R.6.144KD.6.142

Or helpe make morter  or bere muk a-felde .

R.6.145KD.6.143

¶¶ In lecherie and in losyngrie  lyue[ȝe] lyue and in sleuthe .R.6.145: There is an ink blot, probably the result of offset, that has
the appearance of a second punctus far to the right of the intended line terminal punctus and
just inside the ruling margin.

R.6.146KD.6.144

And al is thorȝ suffraunce  þat
vengance ȝow ne taketh .

R.6.147KD.6.145

¶¶ Ac ancres and heremites  þat eten
but at nones .

R.6.148KD.6.146

And namore ar morewe  myn almesse schul þei haue .

R.6.149KD.6.147

And of my catel to cope hem with  þat haue cloystres in kerkesR.6.149:
R's in kerkes is unique; the other B witnesses read
and cherche(s). .

R.6.150KD.6.148

Ac robert renneaboute  schal nauȝt haue of myne .

R.6.151KD.6.149

Ne postles but þei preche conne
 and ȝutR.6.151:
R's ȝut is a unique addition to the text of Bx. haue pouer of þe bisshoppe .

And ofR.6.159: R's And of is an alpha phrase (F omits of). The X family of C also begins the line with And. Though two A manuscripts (KMa) also begin the line exactly
as R does, Ax, like beta, omits And. þi
floure and of þi flesche  fecche whanne vs liketh .

And leet liȝtly of þe lawe  and lasse of þe knyȝt . There is a brown
paraph sign entered at the end of this line, presumably to mark the presence of bygynne, which is carried over from the end of the previous line and written after the
paraph.

R.6.171KD.6.169

And sette peres at a pese  and his plow bothe .

R.6.172KD.6.170

And manseyd peres and his men  if þei mette efte-sone .

R.6.173KD.6.171

¶R.6.173: Beta
begins this line with Now by. The same phrase as beta's occurs in Ax and opens a revised version of the line in Cx Be þe perel of my soule quod peres  I schal apeyre
ȝow alle .

R.6.174KD.6.172

And houped after honger  þat herde hym at þe furste .

R.6.175KD.6.173

Awreke me of þis wastoures quod he  þat þis
world schenden .R.6.175: Though manuscripts O and G agree with R's terminal inflection for this verb,
( a feature also mirrored by several A witnesses), beta itself, as with
Ax, presumably read schendeth. F has shende.

R.6.176KD.6.174

¶¶ Honger in haste þo  hente
wastoure by þe mawe .

R.6.177KD.6.175

And wronge hym so by þe wombe  þat al watred his eyȝes .R.6.177: R's b-verse is unique; F and beta agree in reading þat bothe
his eyen wattered. However, R's b-verse agrees exactly with the same phrase in both Ax and Cx; it is, therefore, presumably the original
reading in B.

R.6.178KD.6.176

He boffette þe bretoner  aboute þe chekes .

R.6.179KD.6.177

Þat he loked like a lanterne  al his lif after .

R.6.180KD.6.178

He bette hem so bothe  he braste nere her guttes .

R.6.181KD.6.179

Ne hadde peres with a pese lofe  preyed honger sese .R.6.181: Cf. beta's hunger to cesse. Both Ax and Cx agree on a different phrase, with a less
obvious verb, for this line's ending: hym byleue.

R.6.182KD.6.180

Þei hadde be dolue bothe  ne deme þow non other .

R.6.183KD.6.181

Suffre hem lyue he seyde  and late hem ete with hogges
.

R.6.184KD.6.182

Or elles benes and bren  I-bake to-gyderes .

R.6.185KD.6.182.1

Or elles melke and meyne ale  þus preyed peres for hem
.

R.6.186KD.6.183

¶ Faytoures for fere hereof  flowen inR.6.186:
All other B witnesses read into; both Ax and Cx agree with them against R. bernes .

R.6.187KD.6.184

And flapten on with flailes  fram morwen til euen .

R.6.188KD.6.185

Þat hunger was nouȝt hardyR.6.188:
Although G agrees here with alpha, beta itself reads so hardy, a reading
also attested by half of the A manuscripts (RaUHaJEWaMaH). On the other
hand, Cx clearly agrees with alpha's reading (i.e., the omission of so).  on hem for to loke .

Of beggeres and of bydderes  what best is to doneR.6.206: R's is in this b-verse is shared only with F and Y; the
entire phrase shows considerable minor variation among the B witnesses,
but the original reading of beta is probably that of the majority of beta copies, what best be to done. This agrees with the reading of Cx. By contrast, R's b-verse agrees exactly with Kane's reconstruction of the phrase in
Ax (though a majority of A manuscripts reverse the
key phrase to is best). .

R.6.207KD.6.204

For I wote wel be þow wente  þei wil werche ful ille .

R.6.208KD.6.205

For meschef it maketh  þei beth so meke nouthe .

R.6.209KD.6.206

And for defaute of here fode  þis folk is at my wille .

R.6.210KD.6.207

ItR.6.210:
R's It is unique among the B manuscripts; most,
including F, read Þey. However, R's reading agrees with that found in Ax and Cx, both of which begin the line And (h)it.aren arenaren my blody bretheren quod peres  &R.6.210:
Both F and beta have for where R reads &. Ax and Cx agree with F/beta here. god
bouȝte vs alle . The parchment here was torn long ago and repaired by
stitching. The tear extended the length of these nine lines and is approximately 6 cm. long
from its beginning at the page edge, running diagonally inwards and downwards. At its bottom
it is approximately 2.5 cm. in from the page margin.

R.6.211KD.6.208

Treuthe tauȝte me ones  to louye hem vch one .

R.6.212KD.6.209

And to helpen hem of alle thynge  ay as hem nedeth .

R.6.213KD.6.210

And now wolde I witen of þe  what were þe beste .

R.6.214KD.6.211

And how I miȝt amaystrien hem  & maken hem to
werche .

R.6.215KD.6.212

¶I here nowR.6.215: R's I here now is unique; cf. F's Now here
wel me and beta's Here now. The beta variant is identical with that
found in Ax. quod hunger  and holde it for
a wisdome .

R.6.216KD.6.213

Bolde beggeres and bigge  þat mowen here brede by-swynken .

R.6.217KD.6.214

With houndes bred and hors-bred
 holde vppe here hertes .

R.6.218KD.6.215

Abate hem with benes  for bollyng of here ..wombe .

R.6.219KD.6.216

And if þe gomes grucche  bydde hem go andR.6.219:
Beta here omits and, a feature also found in half of the A manuscripts and in a majority of the P family of the C
version. swynke .R.6.219: Alpha omitted the following line attested by beta manuscripts
(and by both of the other versions of the poem):And he shal soupe swettere whan he it hath deseruid.

R.6.220KD.6.218

¶¶AcR.6.220:
Both F and beta have And, which is also the reading of seven A and of seven C copies; R's Ac is
probably archetypal in the C version but may not be original in A. if þow fynde any freke  þat falshedR.6.220:
R's falshed is unique; cf. F's False and beta's fortune. The Ax reading is fortune,
but the Cx variant, in a slightly revised line, is fals
men. hath apayred .

¶ And sapience seith þe same  I seyȝR.6.239:
R uniquely omits a word in this phrase; beta reads seigh it in. Ax agrees with beta. in þe bible .

R.6.240KD.6.236

PigePige[r] pro frigore  non feld wolde tylie .

R.6.241KD.6.237

And þere-for he schal begge and
bydde . & noman bete his hunger .

R.6.242KD.6.238

¶¶ Matheu with mannes face
 mouthethR.6.242:
Beta reads a past-tense form of the same verb: mouthed. Though A manuscripts offer a striking variety of possibilities at this point ,
Kane chose the alpha form as likeliest to represent Langland's original. But the alpha form
may not, in fact, signify any real difference from beta anyway (i.e., the alpha scribe may
not be intending a present-tense inflection with his "-eth" suffix. See the Introduction
III.2.2.10 for a complete discussion.
þis wordes .

R.6.243KD.6.239

Þat seruus
nequam had a manR.6.243:
Although MED, s. v.mnam, lists man as a possible form taken by mnam, it seems clear that this spelling is merely a scribal error (Langland
is the only source cited by the dictionary for the word itself) evoked by an unfamiliar
foreign term. Alpha passed this error to R and F, which share it with BoCot (and with AH of
the A tradition).  & for he wolde nouȝt
chaffare .

R.6.244KD.6.240

He hadde maugre of his meystre  for euermore after .

R.6.245KD.6.241

And by-nam hym his napm This
word is foreign in origin and quite rare, and spellings of it vary considerably on that
account. OED2 and MED identify the headword as mnam. OED2 lists nam as the only recognized variant
and Langland as the only citation. However, among the A copies, Vernon
shows another presumably valid spelling variation, rendering the word at 7.225 (Kane) as npnam. MED also cites Piers Plowman as the only
source but lists a wider variety of forms, including mnamme, namp, mam, and man. In light of the fact that
Langland is the only source cited, however, it seems probable that several of these "variant
forms" are merely scribal errors.  for he ne wold werche .

R.6.246KD.6.242

And ȝaf þat nam til hym  þat ten napmes hadde .

R.6.247KD.6.243

And with þat he seyde  þat holy cherche it herde .

R.6.248KD.6.244

He þat hath schal haue  and helpe þere it
nedeth .

R.6.249KD.6.245

And he þat nauȝt hath schal nauȝt haue  & no
man hym helpe .

R.6.250KD.6.246

And þat he weneth for toR.6.250: Beta reads wel to, which is also the reading of both Ax and the X family of C (most of the P family simply
omit the phrase). haue  I wil it hym bi-reue
.

Ete nouȝt I hoteR.6.266: Among B copies, R uniquely omits þee
in the phrase, hote þe er. Though four A manuscripts (JLaAMa) share this omission, it seems clear that Ax read as beta does, including þee. However, Cx omits the pronoun and renders this phrase exactly as R does.er hunger þe take .

R.6.267KD.6.262

And sende þe of his sauce  to sauoure with þi lippes
.

R.6.268KD.6.263

And kepe summe to soper tyme  and sitte nauȝt to
longe .

R.6.269KD.6.264

Arise vppe ar apetit  haue I-ete his fille .

R.6.270KD.6.265

Late nauȝt sire surfet  sitten at þi borde .

R.6.271KD.6.266

Leue hym nauȝt for he is lecherous  and likerous of tonge
.

R.6.272KD.6.267

And after many maner metus  his mawe is affyngred
.

R.6.273KD.6.268

¶And if þow diete þe þus  I dar legge myn eres

R.6.274KD.6.269

Þat fisik schal his furred hodes  for his fode selle .

R.6.275KD.6.270

And his cloke of calabre  with alle knappesR.6.275: F reads with knoppis, while beta has alle
þe knappes. Ax appears to read this b-verse as & þe knoppis of gold. of golde .

R.6.276KD.6.271

And be fayne by my faith  his fisik to lete .

R.6.277KD.6.272

And lerne to labori with londe  for liflode is swete .

R.6.278KD.6.273

Þer aren mo morareres þanR.6.278:
R's morareres is a nonce word, apparently meaning "killers, murderers."
The presence of moraynerys in F suggests that some version of the reading
was in alpha. Most beta witnesses have For morthereres aren mony leches as
their a-verse. The defective alliteration of both sub-archetypes suggests that Bx itself was corrupt here. The likeliest authorial reading for B is that of A: Þere arn mo liȝeris
þan lechis. leches  lord hem amende .

R.6.279KD.6.274

Þei don men deye þorȝ here drinkes  ar
destine it wolde .

R.6.280KD.6.275

¶¶ By seint poule quod peres
 þis aren profitable wordes .

R.6.281KD.6.277

Wend now hunger whan þow wilt  þat wel þow be euere .R.6.281: Cf. F's þe betyȝde and beta's be þow euere. In his parallel-text edition of Piers, A. V. C.
Schmidt errs by listing R's reading here as a dittography, yow yow.
Apparently, this error stems not from R itself, which is quite clear, but from Schmidt's
reliance on the apparatus of Kane-Donaldson, which here displays a rare mistake. In any
event, the correct reading is probably that of beta since it matches the reading of Ax and of a majority of C witnesses for this phrase.
However, key X family witnesses (XIUcDc) reverse the crucial phrase, reading thow be and thus agreeing with the B-version's manuscript R
against beta.

Ac I haue percyle and porett  and many queynte herbes .R.6.291:R's queynte herbes is unique. Cf. F's propre
herbys and beta's kole plantes. Most A
witnesses agree with beta's reading (albeit non-alliterating), but Kane has changed his mind
since 1960 and in the revised Athlone edition of A opines that the
metrically appropriate reading of manuscripts AMaH (plante colis) is
likelier to be original (461).

R.6.292KD.6.287

¶¶ And eke a kow and a kalf  and a
carte mare .

R.6.293KD.6.288

To drawe a-felde my donge 
þe while þe drouȝthe lasteth .

R.6.294KD.6.289

And by þis lyflode we mote lyue  til lammasse tyme .

R.6.295KD.6.290

And by þat I hope to haue  heruest in my crofte .

R.6.296KD.6.291

And þanne may I diȝte þi diner  as me dere liketh
.

R.6.297KD.6.292

¶ Alle þe pore poeple þo  pesecoddes fetten .

R.6.298KD.6.293

Benes and baken apples  þei brouȝten in here lappe .R.6.298: R's singular is unique among the B copies; the others
read lappes. However, R's reading is supported by Cx
and by three important A witnesses (TDCh). The other A manuscripts agree with the B majority.

R.6.299KD.6.294

Chibolles and chiruilles  and ripe chiries manye .

R.6.300KD.6.295

And profered peres þis present  to plese
with hunger .

R.6.301KD.6.296

¶¶ Alle hunger ete in haste  and asked
after more .

R.6.302KD.6.297

Þanne pore folke for fere  fedde hunger ȝerne .

R.6.303KD.6.298

With grene poret and pesesR.6.303: R's plural is the same alpha form attested in
F (pesis); the beta plural, also found in a majority of A copies, reads pesen.  to poyson hunger þei
thouȝte .

R.6.304KD.6.299

¶ By þat it neyed nere heruest  newe corn come to
chepyng .

R.6.305KD.6.300

Þanne was folke fayne  and fedden hunger with þe beste
.

R.6.306KD.6.301

With good ale as glotoun tauȝte  and
gerte hunger go slepe .

R.6.307KD.6.302

¶¶ And þo ne wolde no wastourR.6.307:
R's ne is a unique addition to this phrase. F has þan wolde
no while beta reads þo wolde wastour noȝt. Beta's phrase is
identical to the wording of Cx and probably to that of Ax (some A copies attest nolde for wolde). werche  but wandren aboute .

R.6.308KD.6.303

Ne no beggere ete brede  þat benes inne were
.

R.6.309KD.6.304

But of coket or ofR.6.309:
R's of is a unique addition to this line. clerematyn  or
elles of clene whete .

R.6.310KD.6.305

Ne non halpeni ale  in nonewysenone
wyse drinke .

R.6.311KD.6.306

But of þe best and of þe brounest  þat in
borewe is to selle .

R.6.312KD.6.307

¶ Laboreres þat haue no londe  to lyue on but here
handes .

R.6.313KD.6.308

DeynedR.6.313:
Beta reads Deyned nouȝt to dyne. F completely
rewrites the line. Though Ax clearly agrees with beta, most C manuscripts omit noȝt in this phrase, but three
(IP2Ac) include it and X has it added by another hand. to dyne
o-day  niȝte-olde
wortes .R.6.313: There is an apparently random ink blot (having the appearance of a second
punctus) approximately 1.3 cm. to the right of the intended punctus.

R.6.314KD.6.309

May no peny-ale hem paye  ne
no pece of bakun .

R.6.315KD.6.310-311

But if it be fresche flesche other fische
 for chillyng of his mawe .R.6.315: R and F run this line of archetypal B together with the
next by splicing this a-verse, But . . . other fische (= KD6.310) to the
b-verse of the next line (= KD6.311), for chillyng of here mawe. In fact,
R is the only B witness (despite its conflation of two lines) to read
for chillyng of his mawe—the reading of the X
family of C and of four A manuscripts (including
Kane's copytext, T). Most of the other B witnesses attest hir(e), the predominant reading in the A-version copies and in
the P family of C.

He schal a-wake with watR.6.327:
R's reading here (wat) makes no sense, but as usual is closer to the
presumptive original reflected in beta (water) than is F's reading (what), which, typically, looks like a smoothed rationalization of irreparable
error. Apparently alpha left off the final loop from water.  wastoures to chaste .

R.6.328KD.6.324

Ar fyue ȝere be fulfilled  swich famyn schal arise
.

R.6.329KD.6.325

Thorȝ flodR.6.329:
R uniquely reads a singular form here. All other B manuscripts show a
plural, e.g., flodes. F actually reverses the entire phrase, reading þorhȝ fowle wederys & floodis. Cx agrees with
the B majority in attesting a plural, flodes, but a
clear majority of A witnesses agrees with R on the singular form.
and foule wederes  fruytes schullen fayle .

R.6.330KD.6.326

And so seyde saturne  and sent ȝow to warne .

R.6.331KD.6.327

Whanne ȝe se þe sonne amys  and to monkes hedes .

R.6.332KD.6.328

And a mayde haue þe maystrie  and multipliedR.6.332: Both L and M confirm this alpha reading (M with an <ed> added in a
different ink over an erasure), but all other beta manuscripts read multiplie. be eyghte

R.6.333KD.6.329

Þanne schal deth withdrawe  and derth be iustice .

R.6.334KD.6.330

And dauwe þe dikere  deye for hunger .

R.6.335KD.6.331

AndR.6.335: The erasure of the line initial is very old though clearly not
original.R.6.335: R's [A]nd is unique; all other manuscripts read But, which agrees with the reading of the C version.
if god of his goodnesse  graunte vs a trewe .